Crowded House is a rock group formed in Melbourne, Australia, and led by New Zealand musician and singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is widely recognised as the primary songwriter and creative direction of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand (Neil Finn, Tim Finn and Eddie Rayner), Australia (Paul Hester, Nick Seymour, Peter Jones and Craig Hooper) and United States (Mark Hart and Matt Sherrod).
Though the band owes its original success to the Australian live music scene, references to New Zealand people and places in songs pay homage to their roots ("Kare Kare" is written about Karekare Beach, "Mean to Me" refers to Finn's hometown of Te Awamutu) and perhaps most famously Four Seasons In One Day is based on the city of Auckland. The success of the group's third album Woodface and the general success of Crowded House and Split Enz prompted Queen Elizabeth II of the Commonwealth in June 1993 to bestow the Order of the British Empire on both Tim and Neil Finn for their contribution to the music of New Zealand.
Originally active between 1985 and 1996, the band's notable hits from this period include "Don't Dream It's Over", "Something So Strong", "Better Be Home Soon", "Fall at Your Feet" and "Weather With You"
In 2007, the group reunited with a new drummer. In this period, the group has released one album, Time on Earth, which reached #1 on Australia's ARIA Albums Chart. In 2010 an even stronger effort "Intriguer" was released.
source: Wikipedia etc.
Band Members:
Neil Finn: Born 1958. As a founder member, main composer, lead-vocalist and guitar. As lead vocalist Finn is the cornerstone of the band
Nick Seymour: Born 1958. Bassist and founder member.
Paul Hester: Born 1959. Drums
Craig Hooper: Guiatrist in the early version of the band
Eddie Rayner: Born 1952. Played keyboards with early version of the group. Formerly Spilt Enz
Peter Jones: Drums. Replaced Hester
Mark Hart: Born 1953. Keyboards, guitars etc. Joined in 1991
Matt Sherrod: Drums. Joined when the band re-united in 2007
Tim Finn: Born 1952. Singer, songwriter and keyboards. Only full-time member on "Woodface". Brother of Neil and formerly Split Enz
Discography:
1. Crowded House - Capitol 1986
Tracks:
1. Mean To Me / 2. World Where You Live / 3. Now We're Getting Somewhere / 4. Don't Dream It's Over / 5. Love You 'Til The Day I Die / 6. Something So Strong / 7. Hole In The River / 8. Can't Carry On / 9. I Walk Away / 10. Tombstone / 11. That's What I Call Love
Rating : 7
2. Temple of Low Men - Capitol 1988
Tracks:
1. I Feel Possessed / 2. Kill Eye / 3. Into Temptation / 4. Mansion In The Slums / 5. When You Come / 6. Never Be The Same / 7. Love This Life / 8. Sister Madly / 9. In The Lowlands / 10. Better Be Home Soon
Rating : 6
3. Woodface - Capitol 1991
Tracks:
1. Chocolate Cake / 2. It's Only Natural / 3. Fall At Your Feet / 4. Tall Trees / 5. Weather With You / 6. Whispers And Moans / 7. Four Seasons In One Day / 8. There Goes God / 9. Fame Is / 10. All I Ask / 11. As Sure As I Am / 12. Italian Plastic / 13. She Goes On / 14. How Will You Go
Rating : 9
4. Together Alone - Capitol 1993
Tracks:
1. Kare Kare / 2. In My Command / 3. Mails In My Feet / 4. Black And White Boy / 5. Fingers Of Love / 6. Pineapple Head / 7. Locked Out / 8. Private Universe / 9. Walking On The Spot / 10. Distant Sun / 11. Catherine Wheels / 12. Skin Feeling / 13. Together Alone
Rating : 7
5. Recurring Dream - Compilation + 3 new - Capitol 1996
Tracks:
1. Weather With You / 2. World Where You Live / 3. Fall At Your Feet / 4. Locked Out / 5. Don't Dream It's Over / 6. Into Temptation / 7. Pineapple Head / 8. When You Come / 9. Private Universe / 10. Not The Girl You Think You Are / 11. Instinct / 12. I Feel Possessed / 13. Four Seasons In One Day / 14. It's Only Natural / 15. Distant Sun / 16. Something So Strong / 17. Mean To Me / 18. Better Be Home Soon / 19. Everything Is Good For You
Rating : 9
6. Afterglow - Capitol 2000
Tracks:
1. I Am In Love / 2. Sacred Cow / 3. You Can Touch / 4. Help Is Coming / 5. I Love You Dawn / 6. Dr Livingstone / 7. My Telly's Gone Bung / 8. Private Universe / 9. Lester / 10. Anyone Can Tell / 11. Recurring Dream / 12. Left Hand / 13. Time Immemorial
Rating : 6
7. Farewell to the World ( Live 96 ) - Capitol 2006
Tracks:
1. Mean To Me / 2. World Where You Live / 3. When You Come / 4. Private Universe / 5. Four Seasons In One Day / 6. Fall At Your Feet / 7. Whispers And Moans / 8. Hole In the River / 9. Better Be Home Soon / 10. Pineapple Head / 11. Distant Sun / 12. Into Temptation / 13. Everything Is Good For You // 1. Locked Out / 2. Something So Strong / 3. Sister Madly / 4. Italian Plastic / 5. Weather / 9. In My Command / 10. Throw Your Arms Around Me / 11. Don't Dream It's Over
Rating :
8. Time on Earth - Ato Records 2007
Tracks:
1. Nobody Wants To / 2. Don't Stop Now / 3. She Called Up / 4. Say That Again / 5. Pour Le Monde / 6. Even A Child / 7. Heaven That I'm Making / 8. A Sigh / 9. Silent House / 10. English Trees / 11. Walked Her Way Down / 12. Transit Lounge / 13. You Are The One To Make Me Cry / 14. People Are Like Suns
Rating :
9 . Intriguer - Fantasy Records 2010
Tracks:
1. Saturday Sun / 2. Archer's Arrows / 3. Amsterdam / 4. Either Side of the World / 5. Falling Dove / 6. Isolation / 7. Twice If You're Lucky / 8. Inside Out / 9. Even If / 10. Elephants
Rating : 7
10. Dreamers Are Waiting - EMI - 2021
Tracks:
1. Bad Times Good / 2. Playing With Fire / 3. To The Island / 4. Sweet Tooth / 5. Whatever You Want / 6. Show Me The Way / 7. Goodnight Everyone / 8. Start Of Something / 9. Too Good For This World / 10. Real Life Woman / 11. Love Isn’t Hard At All / 12. Deeper Down
Rating :
11 . Gravity Stairs - BMG - 2024
Tracks:
1. Magic Piano / 2. Life’s Imitation / 3. The Howl / 4. All That I Can Ever Own / 5. Oh Hi / 6. Some Greater Plan (for Claire) / 7. Black Water, White Circle / 8. Blurry Grass / 9. I Can’t Keep Up With You / 10. Thirsty / 11. Night Song
Rating :
Essential Albums!
Original albums as listed and rated on “Rate Your Music” - September 20 - 2007
13 Recurring Dream - 1996
55 Together Alone - 1993
56 Woodface - 1991
66 Temple of Low Men - 1988
102 Crowded House - 1986
168 Afterglow - 2000
189 Farewell to the World - 2006
529 Time on Earth - 2007
Check and Rate Here!
September 20 - "rateyourmusic.com"
My Suggestion For a 80 minutes (app.) Best Of Compilation:
1. Weather With You ( N & T Finn ) Woodface
2. Don't Dream it's Over ( N Finn ) Crowded House
3. Four Seasons in One Day ( N & T Finn ) Woodface
4. Instinct ( N Finn ) Recurring Dream
5. World Where You Live ( N Finn ) Crowded House
6. Fall On Your Feet ( N Finn ) Woodface
7. Distant Sun ( N Finn ) Together Alone
8. Private Universe ( N Finn ) Afterglow
9. Better Be Home Soon ( N Finn ) Temple of Low Men
10. Time Immemorial ( N Finn ) Afterglow
11. Italian Plastic ( N Finn ) Woodface
12. Fall On Your Feet ( Hester ) Woodface
13. She Goes On ( N Finn ) Woodface
14. Chocolate Cake ( N Finn ) Woodface
15. I Feel Possessed ( N Finn ) Temple of Low Men
16. Into Temptation ( N Finn ) Temple of Low Men
17. Never Be the Same ( N Finn ) Temple of Low Men
18. Amsterdam ( N Finn ) Intriguer
19. Twice if You're Lucky ( N Finn ) Intriguer
20. Elephants ( N Finn ) Intriguer
21. Falling Dove ( N Finn ) Intriguer
LINKS:
The Official Crowded House
French Com. Crowded House
